A Rise From Tragedy 12 Years Ago
This story has been in the back of my mind for 12 years and it has pushed me to become a stronger individual in society.
Lake Oswego High School was a school unlike anything that I have imagined and I was able to meet new friends, however kept friends that I have met at the junior high school right across the street. The four year at LOHS transformed me from enjoying school, hanging out with friends, engaging in school activities and watching high school sports to a total nightmare.
As I was roaming the halls of LOHS everyday, I would visit with my best friends for a brief chat before heading to class. I always have my homework completed before submitting them to my teacher on a daily basis. I wasn’t like all of the other students in high school because I was diagnosed with a learning disability, which is kind of a long story and won’t be explained in this journal. My parents and myself had to fight for my right to be a student in this high school since none of the teachers wanted to teach me. I was glad to be registered into a disability class where I was able to complete my homework around students that had various mental learning disabilities. I also had two favorite teachers that were able to understand my disability and how they were able to assist me in anyway possible. I enjoyed having lunch with a speech language pathologist who had her own room at school and I was able to chat with her anytime. Her name was Mrs. Maddox and we both developed this very friendly relationship, while helping me with any issue that was on my mind.
I’ll mention some instances of when I had to face racism dead in it’s eye. When I was in a choir class full of students, I was sitting on the right side with a bunch of students on risers. As the term was progressing, there were two Caucasian boys who were bulling me and sexually harassing me. I was getting frustrated by their inexcusable actions and rude behavior, however the teacher hardly even told them to stop. Since the two bullies behind me didn’t listen to the teacher, I chose to report them both to the VP of Lake Oswego High School. I informed the VP everything they did to me, including the vulgar language that they expressed to me. I was in my math class writing notes and solving math problems. There was a student from the VP’s office that gave me a slip to visit his office while I was in the middle of my math class, which made me to confront those two boys. While I was in the VP’s office, only one of those bullies were in the meeting and he was able to apologize for his wrongful actions and didn’t mean to harm me the way he did.
A second instance was when I was enrolling for an automatic class at CCC (Clackamas Community College) to work on fixing cars. When I was at CCC with a teacher that got me enrolled into the class along with another student called Billy, Billy was getting so excited and thrilled to be learning how to fix cars and I was okay let’s go with the flow. He wanted to tour the body shop and I told him that we have to wait for the teacher, however I had to go with him and we both got in trouble. During the first day of class, the teacher provided everyone a safety and health contract for everyone to sign and submit it to class tomorrow. I signed the contract in pencil and gave it to the teacher. The most unexpected thing happened- he yelled at me in front of the entire class and said that I won’t be a great automatic if I don’t sign this contract in pen. I mean, really I could have erased my name with a pencil and just sign it with a pen. But he had the audacity to raise his voice and yell in front of everyone and embarrass himself like he owns the place. So after that craziness, we were told to go to another building for something related to the class. I couldn’t take this hatred anymore so I got up and got back on the bus that took me to CCC and never ever ever looked back. The teacher could have asked me nicely in a kind manner to sign the contract in pen, but he had to yell loudly so everyone could hear. I just couldn’t understand why the teacher had the audacity to behave like that in front of a student that is there to learn.
When I was in my math class, I had my homework completed. There was this one student who approached me and started sitting on the desk chair that was in front of me. He said he didn’t finish his math homework and I was like, “ Like I care. Just leave me alone and let me be.” He didn’t go away and said that if I give him my math homework, then he’ll take me to Club Sport. He took it away from me and then his sorry butt got in trouble as the teacher was walking to collect everyone’s homework. There is one thing to steal someone’s homework, but at least you can put some effort into doing what you are told to do.
The last and final instance was when I was walking to my DLC class, which is basically a class for mentally disabled students who require extra assistance on certain academic things. I was very glad to be a part of this amazing class and work with amazing teachers, i.e. Mrs. Maddox (Speech Pathologist). As I was walking to my DLC class, there were these two students who were a couple years lower than me. They saw me and I heard them say out of their own racist mouths, “Hey Jap, don’t turn around.” I didn’t want to create a situation in the hall between these two students and be reported to the principal’s office. So, I just let this situation aside and I chose to go into my DLC class like it never even happened.
Out of all the hatred, discriminatory phrases and bullying that I had to endure throughout my high school career, I will never ever forget the ungrateful actions from those individuals. I was glad to attend PCC, graduate and continue my college career at a university that was able to appreciate who I was as an Asian American. When I was a student at PSU, I was able to meet new friends and hang out with a Christian group that had prayer meetings and a concert in Smith Hall. I will always remember the great times that I experienced as a PSU Viking and I’ll be a Viking for life!! #fearlessgoviks2020!!